Consumerism: Marriage and Miller Services Ltd.

"We must be willing to face the hard reality that preventing child abuse and neglect is possible only when we are ready to attack its sources in the fabric of our society and culture; rather than merely provide social and medical services to its victims..." David G. Gil

Consumerism, Materialism, and Cruelty to Children

Inside Covers

What is the CSPCC?

1

Letters

2

Consumerism

3

The Child Abuse Issue Cycle

12

Winning Through Cooperation

13

CSPCC Financial Statement

18

Removable Centrefold

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To Have or To Be?

19

Voluntary Simplicity -1977

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Voluntary Simplicity - 1936

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ISSN 0705-6591

The Journal of the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Volume 4

Number 3

Summer 1981

Consumerism, Materialism, and Cruelty to Children
I have little quarrel with those childless adults or adults with older children who choose or are led to believe that Consumerism and Materialism (and status and careerism based on these values) are worth devoting their lives to. I find it very upsetting however when I see a helpless infant being permanently maimed emotionally because the parents place so high a priority on these values that they fail to provide the empathic, affectionate care their infant needs during the relatively few years such care is a necessity.
Let us at least call a spade a spade. "We need two salaries just to keep up" means "We value the whetting of our Consumer and Material appetites for these few years more highly than our infant 's future emotional health". "I need to work in order to feel fulfilled and content, and it 's not fair to my infant for me to look after her when I 'm unhappy" means "I believe I can find happiness and fulfillment through Consumerism and
Materialsm (and status and careerism based on these), and what I want for these few years takes priority over my infant 's future emotional health".
Considering the extent to which it is

References: 1. Oxford University Press, 1934. January, 1935. What Is European Civilization? by Wilhelm Haas, Oxford University Press, 1929. 5. Social Decay and Regeneration, by R. Austin Freeman, Constable, London, 1921; Men and Mumford, Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York, 1934. Science. See New York Times, Dec. 31, 1935. Macmillan, London, 1923. Property: A Study in Social Psychology, by Ernest Beaglehole, Allen & Unwin, London, 1931. Charles Gore, Bishop of Oxford, Macmillan, London, 1915. The Domain of Selfhood, by R.V. Feldman, p. 95, Allen & Unwin, London, 1934.